jamiemrandall

I work in a classification center in iowa, as an LPN. i have worked there 2 years now. before that i worked in a nursing home for 2 years, and before that a cna for too many years. in the prison setting i try really hard to stay positive no matter what, but i deal alot with mentally ill offenders, i have seen people attempt to hurt themselves, actual harming themselves, i have been threatened, both my life and sexual harm. I have had nightmares of offenders who have threatened me getting out and finding my house. But I would say my biggest problem is the other employees, expecially the other nurses. Alot of them act like these offenders are not human and do not take their health care needs seriously. Now i know that these men, and woman, have not been sent to prison because they were model citazens, that some of them did horrible unmentionable crimes, but they have already been judged by a jury of their peers and found guilty and are already being punished, hence their sentence, we aren't employed there to make their life hell. i get told repeatedly that i "am too nice", "work to hard", "need thicker skin" when i feel i am just doing my job and not ignoring things. does anyone else have experience working in corrections as a nurse? cause i feel like its an unheard of profession or one no one talks about....

thats normal it takes i would say about six months to feel comfortable in your position as a new grad and realize you are always learning and you don't know it all and never will none of us ever do:) you'll do fine:) good luck

20.72 i work for the state of iowa dept of corrections